Raven knocked on the door before slowly pushing it open and peeking inside. "Yuri, ya awake?" the older man asked as he walked into the dimly light room, the late morning light filtering in through the thin fabric of the curtains. He pulled them open, letting the full force of the light flood into the room. He glanced over to the bed, meeting the gaze of the two charcoal grey eyes that were so familiar to him now. "Did ya see how nice it is today? We can have lunch outside when Flynn comes over," he said, smiling brightly as he walked over to the dull-eyed young man.

"Alright, up an' at 'em, seize th' day, and all that junk," Raven mumbled, mostly to himself, as he hoisted the younger man out of bed and onto his feet. "Just wait til Flynn sees how much better you've gotten." He tossed the younger man a fresh set of clothes. "Ya can get dressed on yer own, right?"

Yuri nodded slowly, as he started to pull on his pants. Raven turned away, bending down to pick up a few items that laid scattered on the floor. He looked up, seeing Yuri now at his side. "All set?" He straightened the collar on Yuri's shirt slightly. "Let's get some food in ya then. You want some pancakes?"

Yuri nodded silently, and allowed the older man to take hold of his hand and lead him to the kitchen.

The room was silent for a few minutes as Raven cooked. He brought the stack of pancakes over to the table and put them down in front of Yuri, pulling a chair up as he sat down next to the blank-faced young man. He cut into the top pancake and stabbed a section with a fork.

"Open up" He said as he held the food up to Yuri's mouth. It seemed to take a second for the words to be processed, but they got there, and the younger man opened his mouth. "There ya go. Don't forget ta chew." Raven watched him carefully. "How is it, good?" Yuri nodded. The older man rolled his eyes "You know it's the same thing you ate yesterday, right?" Yuri nodded again. "Alright, ready for another bite?" The process repeated until the pancakes were gone.

"Hey, we better get ya dressed before Flynn gets here" Raven said as he hoisted Yuri up out of his seat. "He aughta be here soon, aren't ya excited?"

"He really does seem a lot better," the blond young man said quietly as he observed Yuri. "I mean... especially when you think what he was like... right after it happened." Flynn looked down at the blanket, his eyes following the patterns of light that filtered through the big tree that spread its branches out above them.

"What, ya didn't believe me? I told you he was a lot better, that's why I said you should come out and see him." Raven responded, keeping one eye on Yuri, who was sitting on the other side of the blanket, looking out at the rooftops of Dahngrest, interspersed with small bursts of color from plants in bloom. Repede, his constant companion, lay at his side, his head resting on his front paws. "I know yer busy; I wouldn't have bothered ya if he wasn't gettin' any better."

"Hey, I'm busy, but Yuri's been my best friend since we were little. Of course I can make time for him. Plus there really isn't much to do, it's been peaceful for a while now, you know that" Flynn seemed slightly bothered, but did not raise his voice.

The older man shrugged "I dunno, Alexei always seemed pretty busy ta me, peacetime or not... He may've been crazy but he was damn good at what he did."

"What are you saying?"

"Hey, I'm just observin' is all. Yer looking far too deep into it. I mean ya just started, ya can't be perfect right away"

"I knew it! You don't think I'm a good commandant! Well if that is what you think, you're welcome to take my place, Captain Schwann. I'm sure that if you were to return the council would be more than happy to restore your rank and make you commandant since you're far more qualified than me!"

"They wouldn't restore th' rank of a dead soldier. I told ya, Schwann is dead. It's Raven now. 'Sides I'm getting too old fer that stuff now. It's time fer young people like you, Flynn. You'll do good, it'll just take time. I wasn't tryin ta talk down ta ya, so calm down." Raven scratched his head and added, "Ya don't wanna upset Yuri, do ya?"

Yuri was looking over at the other two then, his brows slightly furrowed. Upon noticing this, Flynn crawled across the blanket to him "Yuri, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't upset you." He said somewhat frantically, "I'm really glad I could come see you, and now I'm wasting the little time I have by arguing... I shouldn't do that, please forgive me..."

Yuri stared blankly at the blond man's desperate face before pushing it away with an uncharacteristic lethargy. He then turned away from Flynn, turning his attention to his canine companion with a pat on his head.

"Yuri..." Flynn frowned.

"Told ya you'd upset him. But no one ever listens ta th' old man, 'specially not ones as stubborn as you are," Raven said with a sigh.

"...I-I'm not stubborn!" Flynn seemed insulted at the accusation.

Repede's tail twitched as he emitted a faint grumbling sound.

Raven simply laughed "See, even th' dog knows that ya are." He took a moment to regain his composure, then continued, "Listen Flynn, ol' Raven's had a lifetime of dealin' with stubborn people, I know it when I see it. Alexei, Don Whitehorse, Yuri, an' you. I ain't faultin' ya for it, nobody's perfect." He added with a goofy smile, "hell, even the great Raven ain't perfect."

Flynn began to raise an objection, but, as he glanced in Yuri's direction, seemed to think better of it. He let out a feeble, slightly awkward laugh, "You know, you're the only person I know who alternately derides and praises himself so emphatically."

"It's one of my many skills, y'see." Raven yawned then, stretching his arms above his head before allowing himself to fall back onto the grass. He tilted his head back, and glimpsed an approaching figure. "Well if it ain't miss Sodia," he offered a lazy wave to the female knight, "how ya been, darlin?"

Sodia glanced at the man with a look of suppressed distaste, "Just fine, thank you. I see you're the same as ever."

Raven grinned, "Right back at ya."

Flynn turned to Sodia and smiled, making her blush, "Sodia, there's nothing the matter, is there?"

"N-no sir, it's just, you have to go meet with the Don remember? We didn't come to Dahngrest just to visit your friend," she glanced over at Yuri then, still facing away, looking down the hillside with Repede.

"Ah yes... Is it time for that already?" Flynn seemed slightly disappointed, almost like a child who had just been told it was time for bed.

"Yes sir..." she paused, and then grudgingly added, "we can come see him again before we leave tomorrow, alright?"

Flynn beamed at this, and got to his feet, "that sounds like a wonderful idea." He glanced down at Raven, "w-would that be fine with you?"

"Far be it from me ta turn down a request from th' Commandant," he folded his arms behind his head.

"Then that's what we'll do," Flynn said firmly. He walked over to where Yuri sat, "Yuri, I have to go now, but I'll be back to see you tomorrow, ok?" he gently placed his hand on his friends shoulder as he spoke.

Yuri flinched sharply at the contact, jerking his head around to look at Flynn, a momentary fear in his eyes before he recognized the hand as being Flynn's. He offered up a small, almost indiscernible nod. Flynn's brow furrowed at Yuri's reaction, but as Sodia was now physically pulling him away, he had no chance to say anything besides a hurried goodbye.